by Alan Baxter
‘It is a long drive for most of you.’ The voice was resonant within Lars’s mind.
Lars smiled. ‘I know, Dominus. As soon as we are all here, we will begin our journey to you.’
‘You have something else to attend to first.’
‘That will be part of our journey. The beginning. Are people starting to arrive there?’
‘They are. You have control over the dissemination of information?’
Lars nodded, even though his Dominus could not see him. ‘I do. There’s another group on its way to you now.’
‘Good. Things are beginning to draw together. But you must finish your final task there. I can not express how important it is that you do not fail me in this.’
Lars smiled. ‘Dominus, rest easy. Dieter is here, Raul is here, Frank will be here any time and Chris and Jake will arrive this evening. The six of us will not fail you.’
‘You used to be seven.’
Lars ground his teeth, his smile melting away. ‘And that is only more reason to give strength to our elbow, Dominus. Will we not only do your bidding, we will avenge our brother too.’
‘Do not think to make a meal of this task, Lars. Do not try to drag it out and enjoy it. Quick and efficient, or you may not live to regret it.’
‘Fair enough, Dominus. Your concern is enough for me to recognise the magnitude of our adversary.’
This time the Sorcerer’s voice was loud and strident. ‘Even from here I can read your thoughts, Lars. Do not think to deceive me!’
Lars winced. ‘Very well, Dominus. We will finish it quickly. We will finish it.’
‘Be sure that you do. And tell any other Optimates that you instruct to watch very carefully for signs of being followed or watched.’
‘I will, Dominus. Praise Yath-vados, by blood.’ The Sorcerer had vanished from his mind.
He got up from his position cross-legged on the floor by his bed and went downstairs. Dieter and Raul sat in the kitchen, talking quietly. As he entered, they looked up, both bearing a questioning expression. ‘Nothing new,’ Lars said with a smile. ‘We are to take care of business here and then get to the site. In the meantime, the other Optimates will continue to travel with their members.’
‘It is an easy task, finishing this interferer?’ Raul’s Spanish accent was strong, matching his disposition.
Lars shrugged. ‘Dominus made a point of telling me not to underestimate him or make too much of it. Fast, efficient and finished is how he wants it.’
Dieter nodded. ‘As it should be.’ His German accent was broad, his face dark and hard. He looked as though he had never smiled in his life.
‘Gentlemen.’
The three of them spun around, Raul’s chair screeching against the floor as he stood. Frank leaned in the doorway. ‘You don’t have this place locked up so tight, Lars, old friend.’
Lars laughed. ‘Fuck you. No one could lock up anything tight enough for you.’ The two men embraced, then Frank greeted Dieter and Raul in similar fashion.
Frank sat heavily into a chair, breathing out explosively. ‘So much rushing about. I’ll be glad when we are all in one place.’
‘We will be soon. Jake and Chris are on their way and will be here early this evening. It’s been a long time since we were all together.’
Frank leaned forward, his elbows on the table. ‘We are not going to be all together again.’
Raul shrugged. ‘Others of us have disappeared in the past. As the Dominus has said, each of us is free to follow his own will and some people lead themselves into trouble. Sam is not the first Optimates to vanish.’
Frank nodded. ‘But we seven were strong. We grew up together. Sam used to get under my skin, but we were brothers. It is not acceptable for any of us to be lost, for any reason. And he is the only Eighth to be lost that I know of.’
Lars nodded, sitting with the others. ‘We can avenge that situation.’
Frank smiled, wide, nasty. ‘I know. I have spoken to Dominus about this on my way here. I caught a glimpse of this character in Billings. He’s quite an impressive bastard.’
‘Really?’ Raul had one eyebrow raised.
Frank turned his smile to Raul. ‘Nothing we can’t manage between us, brothers. But we must not take any chances.’ He turned to Lars. ‘The Channel is ready?’
‘Certainly. As ready as possible, anyway. She has been causing me some concern the last couple of days. She keeps slipping out of my awareness for short periods. I have recently taught her a lot about her aura and that of others. She really does have quite exceptional potential, so perhaps she is practising and simply capable of hiding more effectively than most for short periods.’
Frank’s eyes narrowed. ‘Perhaps? You’ve asked her?’
‘No. I was angry with her the first time and I looked closely at her. I was convinced that someone or something had been close to her, but I could see no evidence.’
Frank was still concerned. ‘Do you suspect anyone in particular?’
‘Not really. But I have a feeling that if we successfully complete what the Dominus has asked of us, we may solve all our problems at once.’
‘Let us hope so,’ Dieter said quietly. ‘We could do without any other complications now.’
Lars smiled. ‘Eyes on the prize, lads. Let’s keep in focus the tasks immediately before us. I can manage the Channel.’
Frank leaned back in his chair, a small smile tugging at his mouth. His lank, greasy hair lay over his shoulders like tiny black snakes. ‘You know, if it is the same person interfering with the Channel, then we could use that to our advantage.’
Lars smiled too, Frank’s amusement infectious. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I have a bit of a plan forming.’
Faith looked at the men sitting around the room in easy chairs and sofas and barely suppressed a shudder. There was power here and lots of it. The men all lounged like lions, completely at repose, but she knew that in an instant they could turn deadly and ferocious. She didn’t know exactly why she knew this, but it was apparent. And they did nothing to hide the fact. They were doing little to suppress their auras as they must certainly do in public. The safety and privacy of Lars’s home was obviously a comfort they relished. As she stood beside Lars in the presence of these giants, she felt a deep sense of unease along with an undeniable sense of awe. Her connection with this society was something unique, even among its other members. She had stepped in right next to one of the highest members and now she stood in a room with others like him. She felt special but also suspicious. And something tugged at her mind, a vague shadow of a memory, a decision to take a risk that she could not quite place. She wanted more than anything else to know more about this group and the plans at hand. She felt as though she was at the beach and had been caught in a riptide, a powerful current dragging her along at a pace she could not hope to counter. If she remained calm and composed, she could ride the rip out to smoother waters, but panic would cause the rip to suck her under. She needed to remain calm and, to do that, she needed to know more.
‘You see before you my brothers,’ Lars said, cutting across her train of thought. He gestured around the room as he spoke. ‘This is Jake, Chris, Raul, Dieter and Frank. They are the highest members of our proud Order, beneath only the Dominus himself.’
‘Like you?’
Lars smiled. ‘Yes. I’m honoured to count myself among their numbers. We are the only ones to hold the Eighth Degree of Optimates.’
She looked at the men before her. They were a diverse group. Jake and Chris looked like they belonged in the SAS, Raul was a lean, dark looking man, Dieter similar, but stocky and hard looking. Frank was a scrawny, greasy individual that immediately filled her with a certain repulsion. As the thought crossed her mind, looking at his lank hair and grubby clothes, a feral grin split his face. Had he heard her thoughts? He seemed to revel in her disgust. ‘You are a pretty one.’ His voice was as rude as his appearance, American accent.
‘What did
you do to score a fine looking girl like this, Lars? You must be twice her age!’ That was Chris, obvious English accent.
‘Keep her happy with sweeties, do you?’ Jake. Also English.
‘Fuck you both, and your mothers.’ Lars was smiling as he spoke, laughing along with his brothers. There seemed to be no animosity or competition here that she could see. What it must be to have a group of friends like this, with such power at their command and camaraderie in their similarity. ‘Faith is a special girl.’
She smiled nervously. She would very much like to be a part of this, but couldn’t help wondering if it was something of a boy’s club. ‘Nice to meet you all,’ she said, unable to think of anything else to say. Perhaps she need not have said anything.
‘Nice to meet you too, little one.’ That was a German accent, very strong. His face was hard and mean looking, as though he was unable to take any humour from the world. Faith remembered some of her high school teachers had had similar demeanours. His eyes scared her. So they were quite the international group. The ONC was obviously as far ranging as Lars had suggested.
Lars sat in a nearby chair, leaving Faith standing alone. She felt like she was being judged, like a prize cow at the Easter Show. There were no other chairs around and she realised that even Lars was playing games with her in front of his brethren. Well, fuck him. She sat on the arm of his chair and leaned in, laying an arm across his shoulders. If there were no chairs for her, she would use his. Was he going to be embarrassed by her?
Some of the men smirked at Lars. ‘You two have got pretty close, eh?’ Jake was the least subtle about his amusement.
Lars smiled and reached up to stroke Faith’s cheek. Excellent. She felt less like an exhibit now. ‘Indeed we have. Faith and I have found something in each other that we both like. A lot.’
‘She is going to be of use to us all?’ What was that? Italian? Spanish? With a name like Raul it must be Spanish. Or at least a Spanish speaking country. Faith remembered being surprised in school when she had learned how many places around the world spoke Spanish. And wait a minute. What the hell did he mean by that?
‘I won’t be passed among you like a toy, if that’s what you mean!’ Her voice was indignant.
They all laughed. ‘Fiery!’ said Frank. ‘I like her.’
Lars nodded. ‘She has a powerful will.’ He squeezed Faith’s knee. ‘What Raul means, my love, is will you be an asset to our Order.’ He looked across to his brother. ‘And yes, she will be. Don’t you think?’
Raul shrugged. ‘I can see why you have chosen her, but I am yet to be convinced.’
Lars frowned. Faith frowned too. Chosen? What did that mean? Perhaps with the people present she might be able to get some more information if she tried to steer the conversation. ‘So, we’re heading towards quite the big event. Lars seems very excited about it.’ They all watched her, offering nothing. She felt her cheeks begin to colour. Damn it, she was determined not to be seen as some idiot child in this company. ‘It must be something for you all to be together like this. How long since you were all in the same room?’
‘We pass company often, but rarely all together,’ Frank offered. Faith was palpably relieved that someone had chosen to respond to her. ‘But, as Optimates we are never really completely out of touch.’
‘Lars seems to think that I’m something special. He’s pushing me to be a part of this Gather that is being organised. I’m not sure I’m up to the task, whatever it might be.’ Perhaps a dash of humility would loosen these guys up a bit.
‘No one is sure you’re up to it.’
‘Come on, Raul, lighten up.’ Lars voice was annoyed now. Perhaps this group of brothers was not quite as tight as they seemed. But she needed to press an advantage.
‘Up to what exactly?’ She looked from Raul to Lars as she asked the question.
Lars smiled at her. ‘Raul is just concerned that you haven’t been around long enough to really understand the importance of this event, regardless of whatever role you may play in it.’
‘And what role might that be? You keep telling me that you want me to stand beside you, but even your closest brothers seem suspicious of that.’
‘I want you with me because I love you. I can’t help it that you came into my life at such an important time for us all. But as you did, I want you to share it with us. With me.’
Faith looked from Lars’s sincere eyes to the eyes of his brothers around the room. They wore a variety of expressions, but one underlying commonality seemed to permeate them all. It was disturbing and Faith could not seem to think of it as anything other than humour. Were they laughing at her behind their eyes? Frank was looking at Lars and his eyes held the most humour of all. Were they laughing at Lars? Perhaps it amused them that their brother had fallen for this little girl and was acting like a teenager in love. He had actually said, in front of all these weird and powerful men, that he loved her. Was he daring them to defy his feelings or were they all, Lars included, having a joke at her expense? Whatever, this little conversation was doing nothing to ease her concerns. How could she learn more? ‘So, where are we going for this Gather? It seems that an awful lot of people are going to be in one place.’
‘We’ll be going far from prying eyes,’ Lars answered. ‘Most of those that will be attending don’t know yet where they will be required to go.’
‘So they’re waiting for your call?’
Lars smiled. ‘So curious, aren’t you. Every group has an Optimates. As you progress through the ONC, you become a First Degree, then work your way up until the Fifth Degree, when you will be called Optimates. I talk to the Optimates and they lead their disciples. I will only tell people where to go when it is time for them to go. Once they reach one destination, they will await orders for the next until, over time, everyone will end up in the right place.’
‘Sounds like a bush doof.’
‘A what?’ The German, Dieter, looked disgusted for some reason.
‘A bush doof,’ Faith repeated. ‘It’s a rave party, in the bush. You know, out in the countryside? They’re illegal, so you can’t advertise them openly. So someone will have a number to ring and people will get that number by word of mouth. When they ring it, they’ll be told a destination. On the night, they go to that destination and will then and only then be told where the party is. Sounds kinda like what you guys are doing here.’
A couple of the brothers laughed. Frank nodded. ‘Lars is organising the mother of all bush doofs then,’ he said with a grin. ‘It’s a party that’ll change the world.’
Faith smiled, but only on the outside. She was getting more uncomfortable instead of more at ease. The sense of anticipation was heavy in the air. These guys were getting wired on the thought of what was happening and it was infectious, but the discomfort would not go away. She felt like she was being played. She also knew there was nothing she could do about it.
In a valley in the outback the camp was beginning to hum with activity. More people arrived hourly and began occupying the tents they found there. An impromptu order was developing, with the Optimates present guiding their members into combined efforts. The gathering of water and its storage, the keeping of food and cooking on a massive scale, the digging of latrines, it was all slowly coming together.
The Dominus was nowhere to be seen, though everyone knew that he must be in the large, solid looking barn at the end of the valley. A couple of members had lost touch with their fellows and wondered where people had got to. Their Optimates assured them that their friends would find their way back again. Apparently some people had been given specific jobs elsewhere.
In the barn, the Sorcerer had ordered a back door to be built, so that the bodies could be transported out under the cover of night. Raising suspicion or speculation at this stage was dangerous, he had said.
Deep in a Realm of thick, dripping death, a terrifying being gained power and flexed its fast expanding muscles. Time enough. Things were about to become very interesting. Gu
ttural laughter bubbled through the Realm.
15
Cai Wu sat at the head of the table. For the first time they had moved from the informal meetings on the floor of his quarters to a far more serious arrangement. The old man’s face was concerned. The others at the table sat quietly, watching him or watching their hands, some watching each other. Isiah sat beside Petra and could not help feeling as though all eyes were on him. He didn’t expect them to understand, but he would try to help them see. ‘Your decision is interesting, Isiah,’ the old man said.
‘I know. You have to try to see this from my perspective.’
‘And what perspective is that?’ asked one of the other Umbra Magi at the table. ‘The perspective of not caring if a young girl lives or dies?’
Isiah took a deep breath. They could not help being angry. People were usually angry at something they didn’t understand. ‘It is not a case of helping or not. It’s not necessarily my job to help.’
‘Unless it suits your ends?’
‘The ends are not mine. I live an existence that is a dichotomy. I interfere or assist and every time it’s a value judgment. Usually I have help in those decisions. This time I’m on my own.’
‘And you judge this young girl’s life worthless?’ Another Umbra Magus that didn’t comprehend.
‘No. I judge her to be integral. Removing her would be an interference that would potentially upset the balance of this thing. She is important to them. She has a role to play with them.’ He decided to try to explain from the beginning. ‘Look at it like this. We saw a girl that was inside this cult and we thought we might be able to use her. If we could gather information from her, it could be valuable. If we exposed her, we might be risking her life, but that was a chance I was willing to take. At no point was there any consideration that we were going to save her from the clutches of this cult. That’s not our concern right now. This cult is massive. The more we look, the more we discover of its size and impetus. Removing one member would do nothing to slow the activities of the cult.
‘As it turns out, we discovered that the girl is very close to the centre of activities. It could be argued that removing her would greatly disrupt the cult’s activity, change their plans, accelerate their plans, whatever. We don’t know. So now this girl becomes too much of a lynchpin. She needs to live her own destiny.’
